Package elevator



H. R. COLLIER PACKAGE ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1929 gwmntoz Feb." '17, 1931.

. b a u u u u a u u a a a u n a n u u a u a a n n a a a n n LE 0 4 MU F Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES HARRY n. COLLIER, or TACOMA, WASHINGTON PACKAGE ELEVATOR Application filed August 19, 1929. Serial No. 386,803.

This invention relates to mechanical means for elevating or lowering packages from one level or floor to another, and has special ref erence to the storage handling, or movement,

of boxes containing commercial commodities,

such as eggs, apples, or other articles.

The objects of my invention are to provide a light, strong, and eiiicient machine adapted to automatically pick up, raise or lower, and

deposit boxes at a different level; which may be moved from one place to another to efficiently and quickly fulfil its purpose; which contains its power means within its structure which automatically maintains the box or package in a horizontal or level position as it is raised or lowered; and which is inexpensive to make, easy to operate and to move from place to place, and which occupies but a small amount of space either when in operation or in storage. I attain these and other objects by the devices, mechanisms and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved package elevator in use; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the carrier arms passing around the upper wheel and maintaining the box in a level position as it turns thereover; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing sucha carrier arm while moving up or down on the working side of the machine; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of one corner of the machine showing such a carrier arm in plan view; and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the lower part of my improved machine.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My machine comprises a movable vertical frame supporting a pair of sprocket chains passing over sprocket wheels positioned in vertical relation to each other, said frame having a base or enlargement on its lower end, positioned under the loads to be lifted, and containing a reversible electric motor which drives the lower pair of sprocket wheels, in either direction, to drive the chains and thereby to raise or lower the packages engaged by'the carrier arms mounted on the two chains.

5 Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the base of the machine comprises a rectangular box formed of the lower horizontal frame members 1,011 which the machine rests when in use; the vertical members 2; and the upper horizontal frame members 3. This box may either be open sided, as shown, or its sides may be enclosed by suitable material fastened to the above several members. The box is provided with four swivel-mounted wheels or casters 4, adapted to be raised out of'contact with the floor when the machine is in use, or to be lowered thereto to raise the frame members 1 off of the floor, thereby permitting the machine to be moved to any other desired location. A reversible electric motor 5, with suitable reduction gearing, is mounted in the base box and operates the lower pair of sprocket wheels 6 of the machine by suitable means such as the belt 7 and the pulleys 8 and 9. A run-Way, comprising a frame 10 which supports a set of parallel rollers 11, is pivotally mounted above the base box and is adapted to turn on its pivot to tip downward or upward therefrom in order to carry the boxes or packages to or from the machine accordingly as the machine is being used to raise or to lower the said packages or boxes.

A vertical frame extends upward from one end of the above-described base frame and carries at its upper end the pair of sprocket wheels 12, which are complementary to the above-described lower sprocket wheels 6. This vertical frame comprises vertical corner members 13, suitably tied and braced together by transverse and diagonal members 14: to form a rigid structure. The vertical members 13 may be made of light channel bars to form double guide tracks-for the hereinafter-described control rollers.

The lower sprocket wheels 6 are mounted on a cross-shaft 15, suitably journaled in the frame, and the complementary sprocket wheels 12 are similarly mounted on a shaft 16 positioned vertically above and parallel to the said shaft 15, and journaled near the top of the said vertical frame.

Two similarendless sprocket chains 17 are provided eachof which passes around the two wheels 6 and 12. At suitable intervals these chains, and at corresponding points therein, I place my package lifting devices. These devices are all similar and consist 01? a bracket 18, W1 'ch may either be fastened to the chain 17 or may be formed as a part of one of the links thereof, as shown. These brackets 18 extend outward a short distance from the chain and are, in general, triangular in form. The outer end of the bracket 18 carries the carrier arm 19, pivoted thereto at 20, and adapted to engage and support the box or package to be raised or lowered. The two corresponding carrier arms 19 on the two chains 17, are in horizontal aline'ment and are adapted to coact to hold the two ends of the package in horizontal position transversely of the machine.

Each of these carrier arms 19 is provided with a downward extension 21, at right-angles thereto, vertically below the pivot 20, said extension 21 being provided with a vertical slot 22 therein.

A control lever 23 is pivoted at 2a to the lower end of the bracket 18. This control lever comprises an arm extending from the central pivot 2-l towards the above extension 21, of the carrier arm 19, and is provided with a pin 25 having sliding engagement in the slot 22 thereof. The pivot 24 is preferably so positioned to cause the arm of the control lever 23 to lie at right-angles with the extension 21, when the carrier arm 19 is in horizontal position on the vertical part of the working side of the machine, thereby transmitting the force necessary to hold said carrier arm 19 level direct to said pivot 24. The said control lever 23 is also provided with an operating arm which extends from the central pivot 2a upwardly and rearwardly and which carries a roller or wheel 26 adapted to engage between the flanges of the guide rail such may be provided by the vertical members 13 of the frame as above-described. Therefore, the position of the control lever 23, in relation to the carrier arm 19 which it controls, depends on the position of the guide track 18 in relation to the chain 17. The guide track 13 is parallel to the chain 17 on the vertical portions of the machine and therefore, on the working side, the carrier arm 19 is firmly held at a constant horizontal position. But, as the chain 17 bends around the upper wheel 12, it is necessary to maintain this carrier arm 19 in horizontal position and therefore I cause the track to be positioned further from the chain (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) thus causing the control lever 23 to turn on its pivot 24, thereby turning the carrier arm 19 on its pivot 20, and causing the pin 25 to move in the slot 22. Thus it will be seen that by properly positioning and shaping the guide track 13 as it passes over the 'top of the machine the said carrier arm 19 will be maintained in horizontal position as far as. and slightly beyond, the top of its travel whereupon the said carrier arm then turns into a vertical position as it further turns over the wheel 12, without any substantial change in its position in relation to the bracket 18, and descends on the inactive side of the machine in such vertical position, thereby reducing the space which the machine would otherwise occupy. The gui e track 13 does not extend all the way around the lower part of the machine but momentarily frees the roller 26 and permits the arm 19 to s 'ing down from said vertical position thus bringing the wheel 26 again forward of the bracket 18.

However. it will be understood that it is necessary, in thus maintaining the carrier rms 19 in horizontal position, to maintain the chain in its proper relative position as it moves. This is attained, in the vertical part of the machine, by providing a vertical track 27 (F secured to the vertical members 18 of the frame, by a connecting plate 28, am extending only between the wheels 6 and 12, on the working side of the machine. The rollers 29 ot the chain 17 press on the outer side of this track 27 and thus prevent the leverage of the bracket 18 from causing the inward distortion of the chain 1.7. The bracket 18 is provided with a lug 30 (Figs. 2 and at), extending from its inner upper corner past the edge of said track 27 and provided with a roller 31 bearing on the inner side of the said track 27, thus pieventing the leverage of the bracket 18 from forcing the out ard distortion oi? the said chain 17.

An upper runway, comprising a trame 32 and rollers 33, is pivotally secured to the upper end of the frame and is adapted to be tipped upward or downward on the inactive side of the machine, and extending into position to receive boxes from the carrier arms 1.9 while they are still horizontal, said boxes being carried by said carrier arms over said runway and let down thereon as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

After the control roller 26 has been released from the guide track 13, as above-de scribed, the guide track is again engaged thereby and causes the carrier arm 19 to turn into radial position at the lower end of its travel, which continues and becomes a horizontal position as the chain leaves the, lower wheel 6, whereupon it is adapted to pick up a box or package from the rolls 11 of the lower runway 10, and to lift it as above described.

Thus it will be seen that my machine is adapted to receive boxes on the runway 10, pick them up by the ascending carrier arms 19, raise them vertically, maintain them in horizontal position while being raised and while passing them over the upper *procket wheels 12, and lower them on top otthe runway 32; or, by reversing the motor 5 and raising the ends of the runways 10 and 32, it is adapted to receive boxes on the runway 32,

pick them up therefrom in horizontal position, and lower them on to the runway 10. It will also be seen that the machine is stable in that the weight of the packages and boxes are on the side of the machine which is substantially central of the base frame, While the other side of the machine is idle at all times.

It is to be understood that I do not intend that the drawings and description shall limit my invention to the specific construction shown, but that many changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from my invention as outlined in the appended claim.

Having, therefore, described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A package elevator comprising a vertical frame; a pair of upper idle sprocket wheels mounted therein; a pair of driven sprocket Wheels mounted in the lower end thereof; a pair of similar sprocket chains extending around said upper and lower pairs of sprocket wheels; brackets extending outward from said chains in corresponding positions thereon; carrier arms pivotally mounted on said brackets; control levers pivotally mounted on said brackets and engaging said carrier arms to control their movement on their pivots; and means engaged by said con trol levers and positioned at varying distance from the sprocket chains, whereby said control levers are turned on their pivots as they pass along said means to turn said carrier a arms on their pivots as the chains pass on their prescribed route.

HARRY R. COLLIER. 

